Through the plane’s small window and across the thin tarmac that shimmers in the sun, you can see a handful of cattle grazing at the runway’s edge. A tiny plane comes into land as the engine on our Kenya-bound flight kicks into action. Just a few months before, after a miscalculation by air traffic control, our plane had been metres from landing on top of another when flying into Juba airport. The sight of the strip of tarmac always reminded me to thank God for his mercies. But, it was soaring up over the vast, green lands and snaking rivers that was the real reminder of God’s provision. Beneath us was spread South Sudan and its post independence hope. God had done mighty works in this nascent nation but there were many more left to do.
Yet, looking down on the glistening roofs reminds you of what is hidden in Juba, is not always the hope that seems more abundant in the village. NGOs and the UN are accused of consuming money intended for South Sudan. The government is accused of using South Sudan’s money to buy the biggest cars that can fit on its crowded streets. Land Cruisers, high security fences and quick construction characterise this city that few Southern Sudanese would recognise as their own.
Yet, with the jumbled streets and the beating sun, this is still almost a reminder of Marol. This morning saw me land into the mist of a London morning. From home to home in just an afternoon and a morning.
Back in South Sudan, five people died last week in the grazing lands where the cattle from Marol are kept. School-aged boys, guarding the cattle, often come into deadly conflict as they attempt to protect their family’s wealth. Recent disarmament campaigns have confused the usual security setting. Fear of more conflict remains while these families still grieve their loss. At the moment, Marol has no secondary school teachers for 2012 although we have dozens of eager students.
Plus, due to student protests, many schools in Wau have been closed indefinitely meaning that even less secondary education is available in the region. Marol needs more teachers so that we can keep providing.
In other news, this week the leaders of the church of Sudan gather in Juba. This includes Bishops from the Nuba Mountains and the Blue Nile who are experiencing intense persecution as civil war erupts in these regions.
